There is a tremendous amount of disinformation being circulated on the Internet about COINTELPRO.

WHAT, exactly, is it? WHO is running these operations, and WHY?

The only way to cut through the false information (based on theories, hearsay, speculation, subjective opinions, supposition, conjecture, etc. etc.) about COINTELPRO is to start by determining the basic FACTS. There is no substitute for FACTS. Once you know the facts, you can rule out any "information" which does not corroborate the known facts, or which stands in contradiction to the known facts. And fortunately, despite all the smokescreens and the side-shows, the facts are available, to anyone who chooses to take the time and put in the effort to seek them out.

Those who have done many years of research and professional investigations and/or have professional training/background in psychological operations will know that there are several important and irrefutable FACTS about COINTELPRO.

1) The official COINTELPRO (acronym for Counter Intelligence Program) was initiated by FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover in 1956.

2) The primary purpose of COINTELPRO is to "neutralize" designated Targets, be they specific individuals, groups/organizations, or larger "movements" who are considered, using the broadest term, "dissidents", those whose activities are deemed a threat to the status quo and powers-that-be.

It is important to understand that just about any group, regardless of its ideology/doctrines, be it considered "leftist" or "right-wing", religious or secular, "good" or "evil", may be targeted, simply because it has gained political influence, has won "hearts and minds", and for no other reason.

As for individuals, that is a different story. An individual will only be targeted by COINTELPRO if he or she fits any of the following categories: has attained some position of leadership; has the potential to wield some sort of public influence by virtue of exposing specialized information/knowledge which is the individual's area of professional expertise, and which can be substantiated by solid evidence; has developed a following as a journalist (electronic or print media) whistleblower, activist, author, 'radio personality'.

3) COINTELPRO operations are orchestrated by professional intelligence operatives, but much of the dirty work (libel/slander campaigns, harassment, intimidation tactics, stalking, threats, etc.) is carried out by ambitious amateurs, wannabes, Intel groupies, camp followers, who are exploited by the professionals as an army of stooges and minions.

This is one of the most important FACTS about COINTELPRO. This has always been the case, from the very beginning, long before there was an Internet to run their operations. Anyone who tries to tell you otherwise is either a liar, or is speaking from gross ignorance (and this certainly includes the COINTELPRO stooges themselves.)

4) Most of the COINTELPRO stooges and minions DO NOT KNOW that they are being exploited to do the dirty work of the government operatives. It's a confidence game-- the operatives purposely pit these stooges against the Targets, to engender conflict, foment discord, spread false information about the Targets, which is merely being PARROTED by the stooges. The operatives want the stooges to BLAME the Targets, and atack them "for cause", and that is precisely what they do.

5) If you look at the accusations being made against Targets by the stooges, you will see that no FACTS are ever provided. Their parroted comments are based only on what they have heard, read, or been told directly by "sources", who are either the government operatives, or their fellow stooges. The lies, the slurs, the character assassination, are in fact most often the VERY OPPOSITTE of the truth and the facts about the Targets.

No EVIDENCE to substantiate the accusations against Targets is ever furnished. If the stooges claim something as "evidence", it will actually be a forgery which is being circulated, a bogus instrument or document designed to "prove" the false allegations against the Target.

6) Many (not all) of the COINTELPRO minions use multiple aliases, pseudonyms and screen names. The stooges hide behind these aliases, first and foremost, because they are cowards. They don't want to be held accountable for their misdeeds, or have their own lies come back to haunt them. Secondly, by using multiple aliases, they attempt to create the impression that there are many more of them attacking the Targets than there actually are, an army of COINTELPRO minions, rather than say, half a dozen, in a given situation.

7) COINTELPRO does NOT "target" government stooges! If you want to get to the truth, please, please get rid of this idea once and for all. Stooges will always claim they are Targets, but are simply led to believe this by the operatives, so they will attack the REAL Targets and name them as "FBI provacateurs", "CIA agents", etc. etc.

8) Although it is possible that, in a general sense, just about anyone could become a "stooge", as I refer to them here, in the context of COINTELPRO operations, there are certain earmarks that clearly define them.

Stooges have no original or unique information on the topics they address. If they did, they wouldn't be stooges. If they are disseminating factual information (generally accepted to be true), it comes from other sources. Anyone with basic knowledge of using a computer and the Internet can repost the reports written by "experts" or "authorities", on any topic. This does not mean that the stooges themselves have that knowledge or understanding. The same holds true for disinformation and propaganda the stooges are promoting. It comes from other sources, and the stooges are using it in attempts to bolster their own agenda, whatever that may be.

Stooges are rank amateurs; they have no training or background in any professional field or discipline which could possibly qualify them to run their own investgations, analyze intelligence or write accurate, factual commentaries on the topics they address. It can't be repeated too often:

STOOGES ARE PARROTS.

TED GUNDERSON: COINTELPRO KINGPIN

Former FBI Chief Ted L. Gunderson (November 7, 1928-July 31, 2011) ran COINTELPRO operations (both inside and outside the FBI) for more than half a century. His supporters (cronies and minions alike) have denied it, he himself has denied it, just as he has attempted to turn the tables on Barbara Hartwell, having for over a decade claimed that I am a "CIA disinfo agent" and part of a "government disinformation program", but which he NEVER named as COINTELPRO.

Ted Gunderson promoted these lies in print, on radio and TV programs, and at conferences around the country. The lies of Ted Gunderson (and his FBI/CIA cronies) spawned a massive libel/slander campaign against Barbara Hartwell, as Ted's minions and stooges parroted the falsehoods about Barbara Hartwell through any and every venue available to them. The lies were then slavishly parroted by other COINTELPRO stooges, most of whom did not know Ted Gunderson and had no direct connection with him.

The government agents who fabricated these lies about Barbara Hartwell knew it was the most effective method of discrediting any legitimate whistleblower, and it has been used against many others as well. Accuse their Target of what is actually true of THEM. It's the oldest trick in the book, and unfortunately, it works. Especially when there's an army of stooges parroting the lies ad infinitum, and adding their own variations and fabrications to the original lies.

Here is some evidence, just one example among many,a short video of Ted speaking at a conference, slandering Barbara Hartwell.

The video comes from a feature, In Memory of Ted Gunderson, on a New Age website which promotes a bunch of crackpots, charlatans and scamsters with whom Ted was associated. (Some of them I've had the displeasure of meeting personally during the time I worked with Ted.)

.....If you read the Internet, you'll find heavy duty FBI informants like Barbara Hartwell and Stew Webb who are MK Ultra mind control victims, CIA mind control victims who are making all kinds of disparaging remarks about me...if you read their material you'll see it's designed to discredit people like me, former state senator John DeCamp and other leaders who are trying their best to expose what's happening in America today....

Here is a partial list of the "ALLIES" listed on this website, Trackers, Inc.

Mary Croft (New Age charlatan featured on Ken Adachi's website for many years)

All of these individuals are listed in my HALL OF SHAME, for what should be obvious reasons.

Note that in this particular video, Ted describes me as a "CIA mind control victim" and "FBI informant". These are some of the very false allegations that are being parroted by many government stooges, and which have been disseminated in various different forms (by Ted Gunderson as well) including "CIA agent", "CIA slave", "CIA puppet", "CIA disinfo agent", "CIA assassin", "FBI provocateur", "nark", "snitch", " CIA COINTELPRO", etc. etc. etc.

Here, a partial list of those (mostly stooges, but a few operatives as well) who have made these types of accusations against Barbara Hartwell and/or spread other false information and outrageous lies.

PROPOSAL TO DISCLOSE AND DISRUPT ILLEGAL ACTIVITY OF GOVERNMENTBUREAUCRATS AND POLITICIANS

I. Counter Intelligence Operation

Organize a select group of trusted, loyal Americans to operate an effective legal counter-intelligence operation. The goal of a counter-intelligence operation is to educate and, in some instances, to disrupt the enemy by mailing anonymous letters to selected individuals and groups in order to create distrust and paranoia. Another goal is to furnish disinformation and create confusion. I was a counter-intelligence expert in the FBI and I am aware of numerous techniques with which to work towards this goal. I wish to emphasize we will not conduct any criminal or illegal activity, nor violate any laws. All activities would be legal. There are other techniques than can be used, in addition to anonymous letters, i.e., telephone calls from public telephones. Disinformation can also be spread on radio and television talk shows.

******************************

[NOTE: See my reports on Ted Gunderson, COINTELPRO and related topics for detailed documentation and evidence of precisely such tactics.]

FROM TED GUNDERSON'S OPEN LETTER TO BARBARA HARTWELL (2005)

"You admit you were once in the CIA. There are no alumni in the CIA. Once a CIA agent, always a CIA agent. If you attempt to get out or expose them, you either go to jail or you die."

"Do the righteous people of the world a service and, like other slimy creatures, slither back into the hole from which you came."

-- Ex FBI Agent Ted Gunderson to Barbara Hartwell

Source: Open Letter to Barbara Hartwell from Ted Gunderson, published by Ken Adachi.

"There are no alumni in the CIA. Once a CIA agent, always a CIA agent. If you attempt to get out or expose them, you either go to jail or you die"

...is the rule, but you are proof that he is wrong; the same applies to me and the assassins of the fbi who are trying to kill me in the only cowardly manner they know. My question for gun is why he does nothing to expose the crimes against Humanity that are currently on going; and further, with his vast experience as a fbi chief, why he has not confessed to the world of his many crimes against the American people.

ted gunderson, former fbi chief, verbally assaults a true American Hero, Barbara Hartwell, by the use of language that reveals gun's own warped character.

Ted Gunderson (hereinafter referred to as 'gun') recently wrote the following words to my good friend and professional colleague, Barbara Hartwell:

"Do the righteous people of the world a service and, like other slimy creatures, slither back into the hole from which you came.

Ted L Gunderson, FBI-SAC(Ret)"

Sosbee writes:

Such words as quoted above when directed against one of the true and great Defenders of Liberty (Barbara Hartwell) offend all sensitive persons who read them, but especially those of us who know and respect Barbara for her stand against government corruption. Indeed the 'righteous' as you call them reject the use of such descriptions above because no human being merits such a label.

However, gun is steeped in the use of labels, especially those that send good and innocent people to torture chambers, to prisons or to their deaths; gun is an expert by his own proclamation of his credentials (i.e.:SAC) in a) black operations, b) mind games, c) secret agent-provocateur dirty deeds worldwide.

No, gun, you are wrong. The world needs Barbara Hartwell more than you could possibly know/imagine; and as you have sold out to the evil forces of a corrupt government (the United States of America) in return for your petty benefits, you are the one who must someday atone for the atrocities you approved, directed, or condoned against men and women over the past half century.

Come clean, gun, about your knowledge regarding offenses and crimes against Humanity; help save the lives of targeted individuals; and renounce the fascist state that you presently support; then, maybe intelligent and informed people will listen to you.

You dare pretend to show a concern for the people of the United States when in fact you exploit the ignorance and fear of all who listen to you in order to further your own private interests and in order to perpetuate the destructive agenda of the cia and the fbi. The downfall of this country into a fascist state is in part your doing, gun, and you should not be proud of that, no matter how high an office you have attained.

Sosbee writes for the record on April 30, 2005:

gun indicates on his website that he was chief inspector for the fbi in 1973; in such capacity, gun had the responsibility to investigate Sosbee's reports of fbi crimes during that year. Not only did he fail to perform his duties as chief inspector, he continued thereafter to serve in high level positions in the fbi at a time when Sosbee was being harassed for reporting the criminal conduct of numerous fbi agents as set forth in www.sosbeevfbi.com

In early 1971, the FBI's domestic counterintelligence program (code named "COINTELPRO") was brought to light when a "Citizens Committee to Investigate the FBI" removed secret files from an FBI office in Media, PA and released them to the press. Agents began to resign from the Bureau and blow the whistle on covert operations. That same year, publication of the Pentagon Papers, the Pentagon's top-secret history of the Vietnam War, exposed years of systematic official lies about the war.

I make such a statement to show that others will share my belief in you; also, others will recognize that when the fbi/cia and their kind are killing or terrorizing the Target, then all rules of analyses must be modified to compensate for the outrageous efforts to destroy the human being under fire.

The fact that you, I and others are the objects of intense smear campaigns signals to the intelligent reader that the government is behind it and benefits from it.

I also submit the following: What intelligent and moral (right thinking) human being whom you and I would want in our company would make villainous and hurtful comments about a person trying to survive and trying to maintain her/his sanity amidst the most brutal campaign (psyops) of our time, a campaign directed at imprisoning/killing the Target?

The answer is no one. Our supporters are with us through the best of times and through the worst of times. If they are not, then we never wanted their kind of support in the first place; such pretenders have no heart and have (using a word that you understand well) no guts; our company requires of one another and of our closest allies, BOTH.

Finally, every arrow shot at you is shot at me; I pray that I can be there to deflect and to fend them off, or to take the arrow. I am so wired for such a task that I embrace it, almost as intensely as my wondrous Friend, Barbara Hartwell. My strength comes in part from the work that you do, Barbara, and from the spirit which shines through everything that you say and do.

Barbara- I read carefully the info about the Gunderson,Tim White, etc., phony patriot activities and efforts to smear Hartwell. I also understand the pressure that the cia/fbi thugs put on Hartwell.

I live with the same or worse harassment around the clock and I try to update my site to document the goings-on here.

I deduce that Gunderson is a kind of Kingpin of phony patriot-types who enjoys the best of both corrupt worlds: on the one hand he has the complete protection of the fbi/cia, the deadly and murderous groups in human history; on the other hand he has the confidence of some of the most credible members of the patriot community and in such capacity, Gunderson can play havoc with the lives and reputations of REAL PATRIOTS.

His little causes seem to me to be the work of a somewhat intelligent mental dwarf; so, in this respect he may be the most dangerous of the enemy within. These thoughts may be incorrect, but I have no evidence to support any conclusion other than the ones I present now to you on this subject.

Geral Sosbee

Ex FBI agent Geral Sosbee on Ken Adachi and Ted Gunderson:

Succinctly, Ken Adachi is a malicious liar and a petty fraudster for writing the following statements about Geral Sosbee (regarding Gunderson, I have reason to believe that all statements written about him by my greatest friend, Barbara Hartwell, are true):

The best I can do for now is stand up for the truth as I know it, upon information and belief; citing the facts and the evidence to substantiate those facts wherever possible; and ask for God's protection in making my stand, as I have done these many years. Despite the several attempts on my life, so far, this approach has worked well enough for me; but more importantly, I have no doubt that God's justice will prevail, if not in this life, then certainly in God's eternal time.

Someday we will all have to stand before God. This holds true for everyone, whether one believes in God or not. As for His grace, I cannot presume to say whom He will extend that to, though I have certainly been the recipient of God's grace enough to know that it continues to be possible for me.

I also find it necessary to state, once again, for the record, that I was delivered from CIA by the Grace of God. None of the lies being disseminated, none of the false allegations being made against me by you and many others can change that. It's a done deal. God knows it and I know it. What others may believe is a matter of no concern to me. It's also none of their business. But I'll say it again, right up front: I do not work for CIA; nor have I had any professional dealings with them; nor been hired under any contract by them or their proprietaries, for over eleven (11) years [since 1993]. Furthermore, it is my contention and belief that you, Ted Gunderson, know this to be true.

I'm certain there are at least a few persons (including my witnesses) who will believe me when I say that as God is my witness, all that I will state herein is the truth, information which I now find it necessary to provide for the public record. I will also state the same, under oath, in any court of law in which I may find myself testifying and in any formal, notarized affidavits on which I may place my signature. I will never commit perjury, just as I have never lied in any public reports I have written.

But only God knows what is in my heart, as in yours. Only God knows who among us is telling the truth and who is not. And so, I have no reason to fear that any testimony given here, in writing, can ever be proven false.

As for those who would attempt to use any portion of the testimony given here against me, let them try. They have done it before, with only disastrous consequences to themselves when their plots and lies were exposed. I have committed no illegal acts. I have no criminal record. Nor has anyone ever won a judgment against me in any civil lawsuit. In fact, to date, I have never been sued by any person, for any reason. If you'd like to be the first, be my guest.

CLOSING COMMENTS

When you've been targeted --tortured, terrorized, harassed, threatened and generally had your entire life destroyed by agents of a corrupt government (with the help of their minions), I believe it gives you the opportunity to view your life from a radically different perspective than that of someone who has never experienced such hardship and extremity.

Having survived all this, your priorities are clarified, and the "little things" that might throw someone else into a tailspin, just don't seem to matter so much anymore. What matters most is the love you have for God, and trying to make the most of the precious gift of life He has bestowed --and to make sure that love is reflected in your love of others.

To me, there is no greater love than that shown by defending the God-given, unalienable Individual Rights and Liberties of others. Love involves respect --for the personal boundaries, the privacy, the Spiritual Integrity of others, the Inviolability of Personhood.

Love of others (whether it's family and friends, or a more general love of humanity) also involves telling them the truth, as you know it, by what ever means you have reached it, in the hope that they may be warned against the tyrants, the evildoers, the liars, the propagandists, the predators, with whom you have had firsthand experience in your own battle for Liberty.

Sometimes they listen, most times they don't. But it is making the effort that matters --knowing you have done all in your power. In the end, no one can arrive at the truth but by his or her own efforts, experiences, perceptions, and by the spiritual discernment which comes by the grace of God.

I have forgiven Ted Gunderson, long ago, and was deeply saddened at his death. As I have told friends, I loved Ted, but I did what I felt it was my duty to do, by exposing the crimes and corruption in which he was involved --and this did not bring any happiness to me, ever, only more heartbreak.

I pray for the salvation of Ted's eternal soul, for God's mercy and grace, and I do not presume to judge, as that is the province of God alone.